A SEVERED human head has been discovered in a Basingstoke park.

The gruesome discovery was made by a man walking his dog in Howard Russell Park, South Ham, about 2pm today(Friday, May 31).

A spokesman for Hampshire police said: "The head of a male was recovered in the South Ham area of Basingstoke. A body has not been located.

"We have also located a premises that we intend to search.

"At this stage we are treating this as a murder inquiry."

For the latest on this breaking story see The Monday Gazette, out on Tuesday, June 4.